WIth only three preseason games left, the bubble boys have precious time to try and convince Tom Renney to keep them here or receive, what is most likely a one-way ticket to the OKC. Depending on injuries, most of the remaining cuts won't see the light of Rexall Place again this season, so they need to be at their best Wednesday and Friday.

This is Bob Nystrom. A strong, violent winger in the Western League, he didn't have NHL speed but the Islanders took him anyway. After a cup of coffee at the end of his rookie pro season, Nystrom found himself taking an unusual step on his journey to the National Hockey League.

At this pace it's going to be difficult for fans not to raise their expectations once the real season starts. The Oilers improved to 3-0 in the preseason with a win over the Canucks, and for the second straight game one of the young guns led the way.

Every year, fans starved for high quality hockey flock to the NHL preseason. Coaches and managers watch the games, and the performance of individual players can have a big impact on whether or not they start in the minors or on the big league roster.

And to be fair, it’s a fun exercise. The reality, though, is that a handful of games against competition that varies from wildly underpowered to nearly NHL calibre is a very poor gauge of player performance. We don’t need to do much more than look at last season’s Oilers to see that.